Could you run Corsham's campus cafe?

Local catering businesses are invited to bid to run the cafe at Corsham’s new community campus, which is due to open next month.

Construction work on the new building at the Springfield Leisure Centre is nearing completion, with a cafe built along with the enlarged library, meeting and activity rooms, climbing wall and exhibition space.

The existing leisure centre, which will undergo a major refurbishment once the new campus building is completed, will also become part of the Springfield campus.

Jonathon Seed, cabinet member for campuses, said: “A cafe was a very strong community desire throughout the consultation for the campus.

“Community involvement is at the heart of the project, so we are keen to see a local business take up the opportunity to develop a successful cafe and catering operation at Springfield.”

As well as catering for casual visitors to Springfield, the cafe operator will also provide a bookable service for organisers of meetings and regular events.

The cafe will serve hot and cold drinks, including bottled beer and wine, plus hot and cold snacks using fresh, healthy ingredients that are locally sourced and Fairtrade wherever possible. The successful cafe operator will also be able to bid to cater for larger hospitality events such as weddings at Springfield.

Potential customers include 193,000 paying visitors to the leisure centre last year, in addition to 24,000 attending as spectators, and around 75,000 visitors to the existing library, which will relocate to Springfield with increased opening hours at the beginning of July.

The 800 regular members of the existing Corsham Community Centre will also transfer their clubs and large-scale events to the campus at the end of June.

Catering businesses can find out more about the cafe operation at Springfield, including how to bid, via the council’s tendering portal www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk